I think the theme to the story “The Christmas Hunt” by Borden Deal is about “knowing when you’re ready for something.” Christmas was coming and Tom wanted to join in on the Christmas Hunt that his dad and his friend’s do every year. There was evidence in the text about this and also evidence that his parents thought he wasn't ready; “‘I’m old enough to go on the Christmas hunt,’ I said. Incredibly. my father laughed. ‘At ten?’ he said. ‘I’m afraid not.’ I stood stricken. ‘But-’ I said. ‘No,’ my father said, in the voice that meant No, and no more talking about it.” Tom later tried to prove his dad wrong by hunting for a bird, but it didn’t go well, and there’s evidence to support that. “I has committed the worse crime of any bird hunter; I
